Two weeks after restoring power to hundreds of thousands of customers, Tampa Electric (TECO) is under fire for its plan to raise rates. The latest proposal suggests a rate increase of over 20 percent over the next three years, sparking criticism and new court filings from consumer advocates.

Paul Paduano, who didn’t lose power during Hurricane Milton, has had issues with TECO for years due to inconsistent street lighting in his Apollo Beach neighborhood. “They’re not there for aesthetics, they’re also there for safety,” he told Fox 13 Tampa Bay. He emailed the public service commission, urging them to reject TECO’s rate hike request, which would see typical consumer rates rise from $136 a month to $165 a month by 2027.

TECO claims the increases are necessary to fund new solar projects, a company headquarters, improve shareholder returns, and automate outage responses. “My pay is not keeping up with the inflation and all the increases,” Paduano said. “And I’m the sole income earner for my household.”

Lawyers representing consumers like Paduano argue that TECO’s push to raise $445 million over three years is unfair. They highlight that TECO’s parent company, Emera of Nova Scotia, relies on TECO customers for 54 percent of their revenue, despite only comprising 34 percent of their customer base. The Sierra Club also claims TECO has inflated its needs threefold and could save money by transitioning away from coal.

“We’re not taking issue with every aspect of its cost allocation,” said Sari Amiel of the Sierra Club, “but this specific issue is glaring and something TECO should address.”

The Sierra Club points out that TECO customers already pay the third-highest bills in the nation and urges the Public Service Commission (PSC) not to rubberstamp the new request. TECO counters that this isn’t a reflexive increase, noting that they have already reduced costs twice this year by about $25 per month. TECO’s CEO, Archie Collins, recently stated that investments have been efficient, adding, “The strength of this grid relative to other electrical grids that I have worked with in my 35-year career… this is a strong grid.”

Florida’s public council warns that if history is any guide, there could be a new storm surcharge added on top of the requested rate hike. The PSC will make its decision by the end of this year.

(Image credit: TECO website)